Former President Donald Trump suggested an “enemy within” could threaten security on Election Day, saying in an interview Sunday with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo that “if necessary,” the National Guard or the military might have to intervene, sparking alarm online.
During Fox News Sunday morning futuresBartiromo asked Trump, the Republican presidential candidate: “What do you expect? Joe Biden said he didn’t think it would be a peaceful Election Day.”
At a White House press briefing, Biden said last week that he was confident the upcoming election would be “free and fair” but expressed concern that the transfer of the power is peaceful because of Trump’s words and actions after his defeat in 2017. 2020.
Trump responded: “I think the biggest problem is the enemy within…We have some very nasty, sick, crazy people on the radical left. And that should be very easily handled, if necessary, by the National Guard, or if necessary. really necessary, by the military. »
At another point in the interview, he said: “We have two enemies. We have the external enemy. And then we have the enemy within. And the enemy from within, in my opinion, is more dangerous than China, Russia. , and all these countries.”
News week contacted the Trump campaign for comment via email on Sunday.
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The former president’s comments about the “enemy within” sparked concern on social media.
A video segment of the interview circulated widely on X, formerly Twitter, with more than 2.9 million views as of Sunday evening.
New Yorkers Editor Susan Glasser reposted the X-rated video and wrote: “The enemy within. The direct language of dictators and tyrants, who want to use the military against their own people.”
Trump made a controversial comment about being a dictator during an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity in December 2023, telling the host that he will not be a dictator in his hypothetical second term. except the first day.
“We close the border and we drill, drill, drill. After that, I’m no longer a dictator,” he said.
His comment on drilling referred to his promise to expand oil drilling in the United States. He later said the comments were “a joke.” Trump also said, “I won’t have time for revenge.”
In reference to his December comment, lawyer, musician and host Steve Martin responded on X to a video segment of Sunday’s exchange and wrote: “If he wins he will declare martial law on day one . That’s why he says he only wants one day as dictator.
Jon Favreau, speechwriter for former President Barack Obama and Save America Pod co-host, said of the exchange on
Ian Sams, a campaign spokesman for Vice President Kamala Harris, released a statement in a campaign email Sunday: “Donald Trump suggests that his fellow Americans are worse ‘enemies’ than foreign adversaries, and he says that he would use the army. against them. This should alarm all Americans who care about their freedom and security. What Donald Trump is promising is dangerous, and his return to power is simply a risk that Americans cannot afford.
This year’s Election Day is November 5 and it will be the first presidential election since 2020 and the January 6, 2021 riots at the United States Capitol.
The former president is currently facing four charges related to alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, which led to the riot in which thousands of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building to try to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. Trump maintains his innocence in the matter and says it is politically motivated.
The riot erupted over Trump’s claims that the election was stolen from him via widespread voter fraud, although there was no evidence to support his claims. The insurrection left one protester killed and dozens of police officers injured.
